Exercise bed



Nov. 17,1925.

` R. H. GORE EXERCISE BED Filed Hay 2, '1925 IN V EN TOR. 22E 670746,

A ToRNEYs.

Patented Nov. 17, 1925.v

UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

ROBER'I1 HAYES GORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXERCISE BED.

Application mea May 2, i925. serieu No. 27,606.

T0 all whom t may concern f Be it kno-wn that I, ROBERT I-I. GORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in'v Exercise Beds, of

-which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanyingl draw-I ings. Y

.' This'invention relates to beds, and particularly to metallic beds, and the general object of the invention is to'provide a bed so constructed that exercises may be taken therein While lying upon the bed. f

iA 'further object is to provide a bedrof this character having coiled` contractile springs arranged in the bottom of the bed,

pulleys arrangedin certain'posts of the head board and foot of the bed', and flexible cords attached to the springs andextending over said pulleys and by which the arms and legs ily exercised. n l s Y A. still further object istoprovide a device of this character having posts forming of the person lying in the bed 'may be readpart ofthe head and foot board of theL bed,

the method of using the bed;

Vthe cords being conducted through said posts and out of openings therein, one pair of cords beingprovided with means whereby the feetk may be connected'to the cords and the other being provided'with handlesthese tubular posts being provided with housings whereby the handles and foot-connecting parts are housed and concealed. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein :f

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of 'an exercising bedvconstructed in accordance with my 1nvent1on,'showing in dotted lines Figure'n2 is atop plan view of the'structureshownV in Figurel; t

rvFigure 3 is an'end view looking toward the footfboard i y v f Referring tov this'drawing, it will be seen that I have illustrated an ordinary bed comprising the usual corner posts 10, the head board'andfoot board 11 and 12 respectively, and the longitudinal side rails 13.'V The head board andfoot board `are constructed as usual of transverse tubularV elements 14 and vertical tubular 'elements 15.

Forming part of the head board and foot board are two pairs of relatively larger tubular elements 16, there bein a pair at the -foot board and, apair at the ead board,

vof the tubular elements are connected Vby meansvof a pair of longitudinally extending 'tubes 19, each tube having at itsmiddle a plug 20 or equivalent member which are shown as held in place by means of a rivet 21, and connected to each plug on Opposite sides thereof are the coiled springs 22 and `23. The coiled springs 22 have engaged with their forward ends the ieXible cords 24 and these pass around the curved ends v 18, then pass upward and over rollers 25 or rounded beads at the openings 26. Surrounding these openings 26 are the housings 27 and these cords 24. are connected to foot pieces 28 having the form of sandalsl and held in engagement with the foot by crossed straps. Any equivalent devices may be usedfor this purpose, however.

The housings are normally covered by means of a lid 27a which is hinged to the vhousings and hangs down over the openings thereof, as shown in Figure 1.

These covers, of course, may be made more or less Vornamental so that the devices will not take away from the attractiveness of the bed. I

do not wish to be limited to the use of the pulleys.

The' springs 23 are connected by the cords 241 to handles29 which are disposed within the housings30, extending from the elements 16 of the head board, the cord24 passing upward through the curved portion 18 of the pipe 16 and then passing upward-to the opening 26 ofthe pipe and then out through said opening. The housings 27 and 30 are vdesigned tovholdand partially enclose the foot pieces 28 and the handles 29 when the latter are contracted within the housings.

These housingsA may be held in place upon the elements 16 by means of the metallic 4strips 31 or similar devices of this character. The longitudinal pipes or tubular elements 19 may beconnected with the vertical elements 16 by means of unions 32 or like means.

In the use of this device, it will be obvious that the user lies upon his back on the bed or may take any other position desired and then by attaching the sandals 28 to his feet the legs may be exercised by flexing them against the action of the springs 22, and that by taking hold of the handles 29 the arms may be exercised bv expanding the springs 23 and that a large number of dilierent exercises may thus be had while lying in bed. lt obvious also that the body may flex against the action of the springs 22 and 23 and thus secure additional exercises.

While l have illustrated a particular form of bed and a particular design therefor, it is obvious that the principle ofthis invention might be applied to many different forms of beds and might be 4used either in a bed-like frame designed purely kfor the purpose of exercises or be applied to a regular bed. It also might be used for hospital beds.

It will be noted that all of the exercising apparatus is concealed within the bed frame so it is entirely hidden and even the sandal 28 and the handle 29 are normally enclosed within housings having decorative doors :or panels whereby t-he handles and sandals may be entirely concealed so that the bed has ythe appearance of an ordinary bed `and may be used as such. The exercising mechanism, it will be seen, does not in any way affect the use of this bed as an ordinary bed.

I claim z* l. An exercising bed of the character described including in its construction verti cally disposed rail members at opposite ends yof the bed, longitudinally disposed hollow members connected to said vertical members, tension springs disposed within the horizontal members, a flexible connection connected to one end oit each spring and e-xtending long gitlulinally through the horizon tal members and upward through corresponding vertical members and then out of the vertical member, the opposite end of' the spring being held from movement, and l' o lyengaging devices mounted at the outer ends of the Hexiblc connections whereby said springs may be flexed by a fiexing of the body.

2 An exercising bed of the character described having a foot element and a head element and including a pairof tubular 'hollow members and longitudinal tubular members, the vertical members having openings facing toward each other, contractile springsl disposed in the horizontal members, a flexible connection extending from the outer end of each spring along the horizontal members and upward through the corresponding vertical members and out through the `opening thereof, means at the extremity of the flexible connection wherel-v to connect it to the body of a person, an/ nea' r eratively engaging the inner ends of said `springs with the horizontal members lto hold the inner ends of the springs.

3. An exercising bed of the character described comprising a 'foot board and a head board including hollow, vertical members, contractile springs connected to the body ol the bed and eac-h held at one end from movement, a flexible connection passing from the other end of each spring and 'passing lthrough a vertical member and out through an opening therein, and body-engaging means on the end of each flexible connection.

4l. A bed zof the character describedcomprising a foot board and a head board, each having vertical tubularmembers, each tubular member having .an opening, ethe lower ends of each of the tubular vertical members extending Vdownward below the bed :bottom and being bent parallel to thebed bottom, longitudinal hollow tubular members connecting the lower ends of the Vertical tubular members, each longitudinal member Vhaving a plug disposed midwayof its length, a :pair of contractile springs disposed within each horizontal member, .the inner ends of said springs being connected to the plug, .flexible connections extending from the outer ends ofthe springs through the horizontal members and into the -vertical members, .up therethrough ,and -out .through said openings, and body-engaging means connected to the outer ,ends of said flexibleconnections.

5,. A bed of the character described comprising a foot board ,and i a headboard, ,each 4having vertical tubular members, Veach tubular member having yan opening, `the lower ends of each ofthe tubular vertical members extending downward below the -bed .bottom and being bent parallel 4to the bed bottom, longitudinal hollow tubular members connecting the. lowerends of the' vertical tubumembcrs, each longitudinal member :having a `plug disposed midway of its length, a pair of contractile springs .disposed within ,each horizontal member, the .inner ends or said springs being connected 4to :the plug,v

flexible connectionsextending from the outer ends of the springs, ,through Athe horizontal members and yin to the vertical members, up therethrough and out through said-openings, ,and body-engagingimeans ,connected to the outer ends of said flexible connections, each of .said vertical ymembers at the opening having housings for enclosing the :body-'enf gagin-g members.

6. An .exercising bed of the character `described including a mattressfsupporting frame having longitudinally extendinghol- .low member-s Aand vertical hollow members, springs disposed within the longitudinally extending hollow members and each operatively connected atk one end to the Acorresponding longitudinally extending member, a flexible connection attached to the yOfhel springs connected to the bed and each held at one end from' movement, a flexible connection passing from the other end of eah Spring and extending upward through a, vertical member and passing out through len opening therein, and body-engaging means on the end of each flexible connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix myv signature.

ROBERT HAYES GORE. 

